


Professional Pranksters I: The Hogwarts Four

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-04-06
Updated: 2007-05-09
Packaged: 2019-01-19 02:19:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12401091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: [15+] Harry is put in an unenviable position upon travelling back in time to the 1940s. Does he follow Dumbledore’s instructions to leave them alone, or does he step between Tom Riddle and Minerva McGonagall before she gets hurt — and changing the future by doing so? TRMM HPGW ADMM HPPP





	1. Prologue: Truth or Dare

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

  
Author's notes: 1  


* * *

**_Summary_** **:** Harry takes a field trip to 1942, and discovers the legendary ‘Terrors’ of the Hogwarts halls: four mischievous girls that not even Albus Dumbledore can control. Wait a moment. Who’s that mystery boy in the mirror?

**_Rating_ :** M

**_Warnings_ :** Major Character Death, Other Sensitive Topic

**_Disclaimer_ :** I don’t own Harry Potter. I guessed Rolanda Hooch’s first name. The ‘chandelier episode’ I borrowed from Minerva McDore’s ‘Into the Lion’s Den’ (with permission) because I loved it too much. The fic was inspired by that one.

**_Author’s Notes_ :** ~~Most~~ All of this fic will take place in the 1940s at Hogwarts. I knocked two years off Minerva McGonagall’s age, but apart from that it’s consistent with post-OotP canon.

\-----

** Professional Pranksters I: The Hogwarts Four ** ****

By Alexannah

** Prologue: Truth or Dare ** ****

~ For Minerva McDore as thanks for the chandelier episode! ~

_It is a profitable thing, if one is wise, to seem foolish  
_ **_\- Aeschylus_ ** ****

_ The Founder’s Room, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, 1942 _ ****

The school body had dubbed these girls the ‘Hogwarts Four’, in honour of the Founders, as one was from each House. The staff had secretly dubbed them the Four Terrors – not that they would ever admit to the girls what an impact they had on the Professors. If they knew it could be disastrous.

As they came from separate Houses and none really got on well with their housemates, the headmaster Professor Dippet had granted the Four a common room to themselves – although the girls regarded it as a privilege, it was simply because the librarian was sick of chasing them out for being too rowdy.

It was in this common room the four girls sat one Saturday afternoon.

The Founder’s room was decorated in all the House colours, with a portrait of each of them on each wall. It was unusually quiet today. The Founders were getting slightly on edge, waiting for pandemonium to break out.

The first one was sitting straight up, legs crossed, on the chair nearest the fire. There was a tortoiseshell cat curled up on the rug in front of her, a heavy book on her lap and glasses perfectly set in place. A few whisps of black hair were curling free of her long plait, hanging over one shoulder. Her sharp green eyes scanned the page, flickering in annoyance. The reason for them doing that was slouched in a very undignified position the other chair.

“Come on Mina, it’s your turn,” the second girl wheedled.

“Stop it Ro, I’m trying to concentrate!”

A third girl looked up from the floor where she was shuffling the Exploding Snap cards with the fourth and said, “Ro, leave her be if she doesn’t want to.”

“It’s not the same without all of us.” Ro had short, cropped mouse-brown hair, unusually yellow eyes like a hawk, a lean athletic figure, and was the tallest of the group. The girl who had addressed her was the shortest: she was dumpy, with soft brown eyes and red-tinted, dirt-smudged hair that curled slightly around her round face. Her partner, more absorbed in the cards than she, had milky skin with scatterings of freckles, shoulder-length blonde waves and pale blue eyes that were completely focused on the floor.

“Fine, I’ll join in!” Mina snapped, closing her book sharply and making them all start. The moment the anger appeared it evaporated, revealing a mischievous look in her eyes as they fell upon the scattered cards.

“Come on you two, help us put these away!” the smaller girl said, rubbing her nose with her finger.

“We’re coming, Pomona; keep your hair on.” Mina put her book aside and she and Ro crouched on the floor.

Ten minutes later the Four Terrors had packed away the cards and were heavily involved in a new game.

“Your turn, Poppy. Truth or dare?”

The fourth girl chewed her lip seriously before deciding, “Truth.”

Ro rubbed her hands together. “Who’s the best-looking boy in the year?”

“ROLANDA! Do you EVER think of ANYTHING else but boys and Quidditch??”

Poppy and Pomona shared a Look. Out of the four, Mina and Ro were the ones who were at each other’s throats most. Anyone outside the group would say it was because one was Gryffindor and the other was Slytherin. They knew it to be the fact that they were best friends.

Pomona cleared her throat. “Mina, you can’t ask Ro a question till it’s her turn.” Poppy sniggered and the other two glared at her.

“Fine, answer the question then, Poppy. Who’s the best-looking boy in the year?”

It took a minute for Poppy to answer. “That’s a tough one, but … I think Tom Riddle is.”

Ro raised her eyebrows. “Really? I’d have thought he would be more Mina’s type.” Mina glared at her. “You know how she is with dark-haired guys.”

“Rolanda Hooch, you’re going the right way for a Silver Arrow up your -”

“AHEM!” Poppy interrupted. “What is wrong with you two today? Will you just pack it in? Pommie and I would like to get through the afternoon unscathed.”

Mina sighed. “Fine. Who’s turn is it now?”

Fifteen minutes passed, with all four avoiding scratches.

“Mina, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Before you ask her, Ro,” Poppy cut in, “we all know Mina’s crush, so it’s pointless asking her about that.”

“Good point. Okay Mina, describe your dream future – and the name Albus Dumbledore is NOT allowed to appear in it.”

Mina blushed furiously and sent her a death glare before taking a breath.

“Um … I’m not sure, I’ve never really thought about it.” She bit her lip, looking at the floor. “I’d quite like a career in something important – maybe Healing. Or an Auror. Or perhaps teaching.”

“Teaching what?”

Mina shot Rolanda a Look. “Transfiguration, of course. Or Defence if I can’t get that job.”

“What about besides your career?”

“I don’t know … Maybe get married somewhere along the line. But it would have to be with someone special.” The other three exchanged knowing looks. “Maybe children … I don’t know.”

“If you had kids, what would you call them?”

“Oh … I quite like Jasmine for a girl. And … Luke for a boy. And if I had another girl, she’d be Susannah, and if another boy, then Harry.”

“I like those names,” Poppy mused. “If I have kids first I’ll pinch them.”

“You will _not_.”

“I’ve always thought Mina would have kids first,” Pomona said thoughtfully. “I’m not sure why.”

“I think you will,” said Rolanda, “or Poppy.”

“Ten Galleons on Mina,” Pommie grinned.

“Done!”

“ _Excuse me?_ ” Mina exclaimed. “Ro!”

“What? Anyway, it’s Poppy’s turn now.”

Mina didn’t speak to Rolanda until her next turn.

“Truth or dare?”

“You know what Ro’s going to ask you, Mina. Go for dare this time.”

“Fine … Dare.”

All four girls’ eyes shone with excitement and mischief as Rolanda leaned forward to whisper in Mina’s ear. Her green eyes went suddenly wide.

“You want me to do WHAT???”

“Honestly Mina, it’s not going to do any harm or anything. It’ll just give him a bit of a shock.”

“No way!”

“You said dare; you’ve got to do the dare or a forfeit!”

“What’s the forfeit?”

“Declare your undying love to him in front of the entire school.”

“Um, you know what? I’ll take the dare. BUT you all have to come with me; I’m not getting into trouble on my own because of something stupid Ro asked me to do!”

“That sounds reasonable,” Pomona said quickly before the two could start a cat-fight. “We’ll come with you, Mina.”

“But she’s got to do it on her own!”

“Yes, yes. C’mon girls, I say we do it right now – I’m hungry and I want dinner.”

“Fine.” All four girls left the common room. Mina was quiet. Normally, Ro’s dares weren’t particularly dangerous, but this one could end up seriously backfiring. A crystal chandelier dropped at that height could kill someone. Although Ro had assured her that they’d make sure no-one was close enough for it to hit them, Mina had a bad feeling.

Her bad feeling turned out correct. Poor Professor Binns.

**TBC …**

**Next Chapter:** Harry arrives! 


	2. You're Not German

**_Summary_** **:** Harry takes a field trip to 1942, and discovers the legendary Terrors of the Hogwarts halls: four mischievous girls that not even Albus Dumbledore can control. Wait a moment. Who’s that mystery boy in the mirror? 

**_Disclaimer_ :** Sadly, Harry, Mina, and the rest belong to JKR, not me. I’m going to go and be depressed now over that.

\-----

** Chapter One: You’re Not German **

Harry steadied himself, feeling slightly dizzy. As the swirling lights cleared, he saw he was in the room he had just left – but everyone was gone: Dumbledore, Ron, Hermione, Professor McGonagall, everyone. He shook his head as if trying to rid his ears of water. Had it worked?

A bell rang near him, making him start, signalling the end of classes. He sighed once he realised what it was. He could hear students beginning to make their way up the corridor outside.

He checked his watch – it still read the same time, but the small digital box that said the date now read 15/09/1942.

He’d made it. There was no going back now.

Harry’s hold tightened on his belongings. Dumbledore had advised him not to take a school trunk, as the style had changed quite dramatically over the last few decades. The same could be said for the uniforms, so Harry was dressed in a shirt and trousers that fitted in with the year, and sported a small suitcase that also blended in.

“Right,” he muttered. “To-do list.”

He fished in his pockets and brought out a large sheaf of parchment. Most of it had been written by Dumbledore, though Professor McGonagall had apparently added in her bit. Harry hadn’t looked through it, but he supposed it was a list of things that he would need to learn to fit in with the year. He’d also had to brush up on his history before he came – he’d had a three-hour lecture on the Grindelwald war (which was apparently still running in this time) from Dumbledore, and a brief list of do’s and don’ts regarding revealing future information. The last thing anyone wanted to do was change the future dramatically.

_1\. Tell Professor Dumbledore who you are and why you’re there._ (This part looked very odd to Harry in Dumbledore’s own handwriting.) _Do not reveal Tom Riddle’s name. Do not tell him the outcome of the war. Avoid mentioning the war if you can help it. Do not tell him your parents’ names or about the prophecy. Do not mention the Voldemort war(s) at all. Do not tell him anything about future teaching placements at Hogwarts. Do not tell him about sherbet lemons_.

“OK,” Harry muttered aloud, “I can do that.”

He waited until he couldn’t hear anyone outside, then slipped out of the door and quietly made his way to the office that to him was Professor McGonagall’s, but now should be Dumbledore’s.

“Right,” he thought, “here goes.”

\-----

“Come in.”

Albus heard the door open and close. He held out a hand to stop whoever-it-was from speaking as he finished signing the paper, then looked up, replacing his quill. “What do you …” He trailed off.

He knew all the students by name and was positive he’d never seen this one before. The boy looked around fifteen and was wearing Muggle clothes. He had messy black hair that flopped in his face, deep green eyes Albus had only seen on one person before, and a just-visible mark on his forehead.

“Um … Who are you?”

The boy sat down on the chair next to his desk without invitation. “My name’s Harry, Harry Potter, and I’m from the future.” He spoke quickly, as if doing so would lessen the shock.

“Well.” Albus leaned back in his seat, staring at the boy who, now he thought of it, reminded him of someone he couldn’t place. “I can’t say I’ve heard that one before.”

Harry pulled a Chocolate Frog card from his pocket and dropped it on Albus’ desk. He picked it up. The back had been wiped blank deliberately, but on the front was a picture of himself … an older self. His hair had gone silver and he had many more wrinkles. Albus was pleased, however, to see that his photographic self at least looked just as energetic as himself now.

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ve been working too hard.”

A smile curled Harry’s mouth. “You’re not hallucinating, Professor.”

“I’m not? Damn.” Albus rubbed his eyes. “Who are you?”

“I’ve already told you sir, my name’s Harry Potter. But I’m afraid I can’t tell you more than that.”

“If you’re really from the future -”

“I am.”

“- how did you get here?”

Right on queue, Fawkes appeared in a burst of flame and settled on Harry’s knee.

“I think Fawkes has just answered that,” Harry said with a smile, petting the phoenix.

“What are you here for?”

“Not to change anything, if that’s what you mean,” Harry replied. “Merely to gather information. But I can’t tell you what or what for … at risk of changing the future.”

Albus nodded. “I understand. May I ask you how far in the future you come from?”

Harry chewed his lip, before apparently deciding it wouldn’t do too much harm if he said. “Fifty years, give or take.”

Albus let out a low whistle. “Quite a period.” He paused, then added quietly as a thought struck him, “You’re not German.”

Harry stared at him, and suddenly seemed to realise what he meant and laughed. “No, I’m not.”

Questions exploded in Albus’ head and he pushed them away, but a bubble of hope swelled inside him nonetheless. By the look on his face, Harry seemed to be thinking he’d said too much, and Albus forced himself to swallow the subject.

“You wish to stay at Hogwarts, I take it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“May I ask why you came to me, and not the Headmaster? You don’t have to answer,” he added quickly as Harry hesitated, “I was just curious.”

“Well,” Harry seemed to be choosing his words very carefully, “I know you, sir – the future you – and I have reason to trust you with the information.” Albus nodded. “I would rather the Headmaster or anyone else didn’t know where I was from, sir – or my name, for that matter.”

“Understandable,” Albus agreed. “But we will have to have some sort of story for the Headmaster – I doubt he would accept a student with no apparent background or education.”

Harry bent down and opened his suitcase, taking out a sheaf of papers on the top. “I have these, sir. Records of home tutoring and OWL results, all signed and official.”

Albus took them, unable to hide the fact that he was impressed. “These are very good. They _are_ forgeries, I take it?”

“Yes, sir. I attend Hogwarts back in my own time, the only things that are the same are the OWL results. I decided it was best to be honest – actually, you did.”

Albus chuckled as he noted the D for Divination, but then he spotted the mark for Defence and whistled. “Outstanding with Honours? I’m impressed.”

Harry flushed. “Thank you, sir.”

“May I ask how long you think you will be staying? Professor Dippet will want to know that.”

“Probably till the end of the year,” Harry replied. Albus detected a note of sadness in his voice.

“Is there something troubling you?”

Harry sighed. “It’s just my friends, sir. I’m going to miss them.”

Albus smiled at him. “I’m sure you will find some friends here, Mr Potter. We have some very interesting pupils in sixth year – You _are_ a sixth year, correct?”

Harry nodded. “Yes. I’m taking NEWT Defence, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology and … hopefully Potions.”

“Hopefully? You got Exceeds Expectations.”

“I know – It’s just my previous Potions master would only accept students with Os. I wasn’t sure what the situation here was.”

“I see. Yes, you will be able to do Potions here, Mr Potter.” Harry breathed a sigh of relief. “Now, I think it is time we paid a visit to the Headmaster, don’t you?”

Harry grinned.

**TBC …**

**Next Chapter:** Meet the Terrors!

**Note about the series:** The whole of this fic, as I said in the previous chapter, will be set 1942-3 (with the exception of the epilogue). There will be an additional one-shot set when Harry returns to canon time before the second in the series, "Snakes and Lions". All the fics afterwards are AU (which stands for Alternate Universe, for those that don't know) and will follow the McGonagall family through Hogwarts years. There will eventually be at least nine chaptered fics in total.


	3. Don't Call Me Minerva

**_Summary_** **:** Harry takes a field trip to 1942, and discovers the legendary Terrors of the Hogwarts halls: four mischievous girls that not even Albus Dumbledore can control. Wait a moment. Who’s that mystery boy in the mirror?

**_Disclaimer_ :** Harry – JKR’s. Mina – Mine. I wish. No, JKR’s. Poppy – JKR’s. Tom – JKR’s. Albus – JKR’s. (NOOOOO!!!!!) Rolanda – JKR’s. Pommie – JKR’s. Anyone else noticing a pattern?

\-----

** Chapter Two: Meet the Terrors **

_2\. Don’t worry about Houses. Tom Riddle does not have a grudge against all Gryffindors. Nor do most other Slytherins. The House rivalry is not as it is today._

Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise before pocketing the checklist and following Dumbledore out of the Gryffindor common room. The dormitory looked a lot like it did in fifty years, and Harry wasn’t complaining. It would make him feel more at home. The other boys weren’t exactly unfriendly, but there were four of them already paired as friends, and Harry had a sinking feeling he would be left out all year.

Dumbledore made him jump by putting a hand on his shoulder.

“You will settle in, Mr Evans. Don’t be put off. There are plenty of other students in the school.”

“I know,” Harry mumbled. They were just rounding a corner when a loud, indignant voice with a Scottish accent sounded in front of them. Harry looked up and saw two girls about his age bickering, one with a long dark plait and the other with blonde curls.

“Quidditch is _not_ barbaric! Just because of that little incident in second year with the Bludger -”

Dumbledore coughed. “Ladies?”

Both girls spun round in surprise. “Professor! Sorry, we didn’t realise we were being so loud!”

“Speak for yourself,” spoke up the blonde one. Despite the tone, she had a grin on her face, which made Harry realise that the arguing was apparently in fun.

The first girl glared at her. Harry thought she looked slightly familiar.

“Um, hello,” he announced his presence.

Two pairs of eyes turned on him. The gaze of the dark-haired girl made him feel as though he was being scrutinised.

“Who are you?” the blonde asked curiously. “I haven’t seen you before.” Her eyes flickered to the Muggle clothes and Harry felt rather uncomfortable.

“This is Harry Evans; he’s just transferred,” Dumbledore spoke up. “He’s a sixth year as well. I was rather hoping you two would help him get settled in, show him around …?”  
“Of course, Professor!” Both girls sounded enthusiastic about it, though the dark-haired girl didn’t look it. She didn’t look hostile either: just curious.

“Well,” Dumbledore said cheerfully, clapping his hand on Harry’s shoulder, “I shall leave him in your capable hands.” Harry noticed a faint blush crept onto the dark-haired girl’s cheeks at that remark, and was sure Dumbledore didn’t. “I’ll leave you three to it, then.”

“You can trust us, sir,” the blonde said with a grin, saluting.

“I’m sure I can,” Dumbledore said, chuckling. “Just don’t drop any chandeliers on him, will you?”

“Professor!” Both girl sounded scandalised. Dumbledore chuckled and left.

Something stirring in his memory, Harry pulled out his checklist.

_3\. Watch out for falling chandeliers._  
  
“What’s that?”

Harry hurriedly stuffed the list back into his pocket. “Nothing.”

The blonde girl didn’t seem to have noticed. “Hi Harry, I’m Poppy.” She thrust her hand out at him and he shook it hesitantly, not missing the fact that she was flirting obviously with him. He didn’t realise girls were so open in this time – or was it just this one in particular?

“Um, hi.”

“Knock it off, Pops,” the dark-haired girl said dryly. “Just ignore her, Harry, she flirts with every new boy fourth year or over.”

“I do not!” Poppy exclaimed, but let go of his hand quickly.

“And, you are?” Harry asked his rescuer.

“Mina,” she replied, but before she could say anything else a teacher rounded the corner Dumbledore had just disappeared from.

“Girls! I thought Headmaster Dippet banned you from loitering in the halls?”

Harry gaped. Mina noticed.

“Yes Professor, sorry Professor, won’t happen again Professor, we’ll just go now Professor,” she reeled off quickly, grabbing Harry’s arm and marching him down the hall. When they were out of earshot she leaned in and whispered, “ _Don’t_ stare.”

“How did she get rabbit ears?” Harry muttered back.

“She sat in on my Animagus training, and – er – my wand was malfunctioning that day.”

A chuckle from behind them alerted Harry to Poppy following close behind.

“That’s the edited version, anyway.”

“Poppy!”

“What happened?” Harry asked, turning to look at her.

“My wand,” Mina ground out through gritted teeth, “was malfunctioning. That is the end of it.”

“Right, you keep telling yourself, Mina,” Poppy grinned. To Harry she answered, “The rest of the school – and me – thinks Mina cursed her for flirting with -”

“Shut up, Poppy!”

“- Professor Dumbledore,” Poppy finished.

“Poppy!” Mina moaned.

“Dumbledore?” Harry said quizzically, looking back at Mina with one eyebrow raised.

“Well, it’s not like you won’t hear it from the rest of the school,” Mina muttered, looking down at the ground.

“Mina’s got a little crush,” Poppy said, moving out of arm reach.

Mina glared at her and changed the subject. “So Harry, where’ve you transferred from?”

“Well, transferred is not really the right word. I was tutored at home.”

“Why did you come here?”

He shrugged. “I fancied a change, and heard it was the best wizarding school in the world.”

“What’s your favourite subject?” Mina quizzed.

“Defence against the Dark Arts, and Quidditch.”

“Really? What position do you play?” 

He grinned. “Seeker.” 

 

“Mina’s a Gryffindor Beater,” Poppy interrupted. “Are you good?”

“I’ve been told I am.” Harry thought it best to avoid mentioning he was the youngest House Seeker in a century – Not only would it be technically incorrect now, but it might make Poppy even more keen than she appeared to be.

They arrived in the Entrance Hall. It was almost completely devoid of students. The crystal chandelier that Harry knew to be hanging from the ceiling in present day – the same one he’d caught Professor McGonagall encouraging Peeves to unscrew – was being re-hung. It looked like it had recently been broken and repaired.

“Can we go somewhere?” Mina asked, looking up at the chandelier with what looked like a guilty look on her face. “I don’t want another detention for loitering.”

“Or murder,” Poppy muttered. Mina kicked her in the shin.

“Ouch!”

“So, shall we give you the grand tour?” Mina directed at Harry.

“Actually, Dumbledore’s already pretty much shown me where everything is,” he replied, thinking that he really didn’t want a tour of a school he already knew pretty well, thanks to the Marauders’ Map – which was sitting in his bag in Gryffindor Tower.

“He can’t have shown you _everything_ , but okay, we’ll leave the boring stuff for later. Where do you want to go now?”

Poppy interrupted. “Mina, we’ve got a Transfiguration assignment due Monday. We should get started.”

“I don’t mind going to the library.” Harry had had an exhausting day and he didn’t fancy the common room. Besides, they’d just spent about ten minutes walking _away_ from it.

The library was agreed and the three of them hurried off. Mina in particular seemed to be eager to get away from the chandelier.

The atmosphere in the library was a much more relaxed one than Harry had experienced back in Gryffindor Tower. Poppy sat quickly down at a table for four before the group of Hufflepuffs that had been making their way towards it. They glared at her and turned to a different one, and Mina and Harry sat down and Harry pulled out his checklist.

_4\. Don’t stare at her ears._

He grinned to himself and pocketed the list again. Poppy was scribbling on her essay, tongue between her teeth. After a moment or two Harry suddenly realised he was watching her, and quickly looked away before she caught him. His eyes fell on Mina.

He was positive he’d seen her before. Her eyes, now they were close, he saw were a deep grass green, and she wore glasses like he did. Her brows were furrowed in concentration, but instead of focusing on an essay, she appeared to be doodling patterns on a scrap piece of parchment.

“Have you done your assignment, then?” he asked her.

“Nope.”

Poppy looked up. “Mina, don’t try it again.”

“Try what?”

“So soon after the Binns incident? You’ll end up expelled if you keep landing yourself in detention.”

“Professor Dumbledore,” Mina said, shooting Poppy a frown, “wouldn’t expel me.”

“’Course he wouldn’t, everyone knows you’re his favourite. But Dippet might. You do remember the chandelier-dropping is on all of our permanent records?”

“Poppy,” Mina said in exasperation, “when Ro isn’t around you are twice as bad as she is. Shut up about the incident, _please_.”

“Who’s Ro?” Harry asked to change the subject.

“Short for Rolanda. She’s Mina’s best friend, and the Slytherin Quidditch captain. And is that Tom Riddle over there again?”

Harry turned around so fast he got a crick in his neck. His breath caught in his throat as he spotted a boy his age, pale, with dark hair that fell in his eyes and grey eyes (Harry couldn’t make out the colour from that distance, but he could paint it in his mind’s eye) that seemed to be absorbed in a book, but kept flickering over to their table.

“Don’t look!” Mina hissed at him. Harry quickly looked away from Riddle and back to Mina, who was determinedly staring at her doodles, but her eyes were unfocused. “Is he looking at me?” she muttered out of the corner of her mouth.

_Uh-oh_. Harry could see what was coming. Dumbledore himself had pointed out that Riddle had been a handsome boy at school, but Harry had never pictured girls liking him. Now he thought about it, he ought to have foreseen it. He knew he couldn’t meddle with the past, but at that moment he felt it was his moral obligation to stop any girl regretting getting involved with Lord Voldemort.

“No,” he said firmly in answer to her question.

Poppy stared at him, confused. “What are you talking about? Yes he is!”

Mina took a deep breath and quickly glanced over at Riddle’s table, appearing to be looking somewhere to the left of him but her eyes flickered in his direction before she turned back.

“That’s the third time this week,” Poppy muttered.

“I thought you liked Dumbledore?” Harry murmured.

“I do,” Mina admitted, blushing slightly, “but I can like two boys at once, can’t I?”

“Professor Dumbledore is hardly a _boy_ ,” Poppy giggled, stuffing her fingers in her mouth.

“You know what I mean,” Mina snapped.

“Watch out, he’s coming over!” Poppy whispered. Harry tensed.

“Afternoon,” he greeted them.

Mina turned round to face him. “Hello, Tom.”

He smiled openly at her. It was a pleasant smile, but Harry firmly disliked the look in his eyes.

“You’re not doing your essay?”

“I, uh, I’m saving it for tomorrow.”

Harry looked back and forth between Mina and Riddle. The latter wasn’t taking any notice of him or Poppy, but Mina’s eyes kept darting in his direction.

“Then you won’t mind taking a walk with me,” he said. “I was just going to go around the lake, to clear my head a bit. Do you want to join me?”

“I, um …” Mina glanced back at her companions. Harry was fighting the urge to punch Tom Riddle in the face, but Poppy was giving Mina encouraging glances.

“All right,” she agreed.

“Great,” Tom smiled at her, waiting as she packed her things away. He held out his arm for her as she stood up and she took it. “Ready to go, McGonagall?”

“It’s Mina,” she said firmly.

“Mina, then.”

“Have fun!” Poppy called after them.

“See you later, you two.” Mina practically pulled Riddle out of the library with her.

Harry stared after Mina in surprise, then pulled out his checklist again. The fifth instruction was not in Dumbledore’s handwriting.

_5\. Don’t call me Minerva._

**TBC …**


End file.
